The present invention relates to a novel fermentation product referred to herein as difficol or oxydifficol and to a process for preparing, isolating and purifying said compounds. The term difficol refers to the compound of Formula I hereinbelow wherein R.sub.1 is hydrogen and the term oxydifficol refers to the compound of Formula I wherein R is hydroxy. The novel fermentation products are prepared by microbiological cultivation of Bacillus subtilis MB 3575 and MB 4488 deposited with the American Type Culture Collection, Rockville, Md. under the designation ATCC 39374 and 39320 respectively.
The novel fermentation products are useful as intermediates in the production of the broad spectrum antibiotics difficidin, oxydifficidin. These broad spectrum antibiotics and method of preparing them are disclosed in EPO Application No. 84106408.2, Publication No. 0128505--published Dec. 14, 1984. However, it is noted that this published application contains no suggestion that difficol is present in or recoverable from the cultivation of Bacillus subtilis microorganisms.